Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund Giving Back to Golf

As we celebrate Ouimet 100: the Centennial of Francis Ouimet’s great 1913 U.S. Open victory, we take a look back at the life and legacy of Mr. Ouimet.

1893

Francis DeSales Ouimet is born to Arthur and Mary-Ellen Ouimet on May 8 in Brookline, MA.

 

1909

Wins Greater Boston Interscholastic Championship at Commonwealth Country Club.

 

1913

Wins Massachusetts Amateur at Wollaston, a forecast of things to come.  In a stunning play-off upset over Harry Vardon & Ted Ray, considered the top two players in the world, Ouimet’s US Open victory at The Country Club propels golf into a mainstream American sport.

 

1914

Wins US Amateur at Ekwanok in Vermont; Successfully defends Massachusetts Massachusetts Amateur Championship at Brae Burn; Wins French Amateur Championship.

 

1915  

Wins 3^rd straight Massachusetts Amateur Championship at Woodland.

 

1917 

Enters US Army and stationed at Fort Devens; Performs fundraising exhibitions for The American Red Cross.

 

1918   

Receives two honors: Stella Sullivan gives him her hand in matrimony, and he is also presented with The American Red Cross Prize Medal “in recognition of aid to humanity in World War I.”

 

1919   

Wins his 4^th Massachusetts Amateur Championship at Winchester CC.

 

1920 

Runner-up to Chick Evans, US Amateur Championship at Engineers Country Club in Roslyn, New York.

 

1923 

Member, winning US Walker Cup Team – St. Andrews, Scotland; Semifinalist, US Amateur Championship at Flossmoor Country Club in Flossmoor, Illinois; Semifinalist, British Amateur Championship at Deal.

 

1924  

Semifinalist, US Amateur Championship at Merion Cricket Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania; Winner, Crump Memorial Cup at Pine Valley, NJ; Member, winning US Walker Cup team at Garden City Golf Club in New York.

 

1925   

Sixth Massachusetts Amateur Championship win at The Country Club; Finishes 3^rd in US Open at Worcester Country Club (one shot behind Bobby Jones & Willie MacFarlane).

 

1926 

Member, winning US Walker Cup team – St. Andrews, Scotland; Semifinalist, US Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ (loses to Bobby Jones).

 

1927

Semifinalist, US Amateur Championship at Minikhada Club, Minneapolis, MN (Loses to Bobby Jones); Winner, Crump Memorial Cip at Pine Valley, NJ.

 

1928   

Member, Winning US Walker Cup Team at Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, IL.

 

1929    

Semifinalist, US Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, CA.

 

1930   

Member, Winning US Walker Cup Team at Royal St. George, Sandwich, England.

 

1931    

Winner, US Amateur Championship at Beverly Country Club, Chicago, IL (Defeats Jack Westland in finals); Becomes President, Boston Bruins Hockey Club.

 

1932      

Semifinalist, US Amateur Championship at Baltimore Country Club, Five Acres Course, Timonium, MD; Winner, Massachusetts Open Championship at Oyster Harbors; Member, Captain, Winning US Walker Cup Team at The Country Club.

 

1934         

Member, Captain, Winning US Walker Cup Team, St. Andrews, Scotland, completes Walker Cup playing career, finishes with the most victories and appearances of any player in history (equaled only by Bill Campbell & Jay Sigel).

 

1936          

Non-playing Captain, Winning US Walker Cup Team, Pine Valley, Clementon, NJ.

 

1940      

Beginning his three year term on USGA’s Executive Committee and participates in the Association’s Support of War Effort; Becomes an original inductee, PGA Hall of Fame.

 

1941    

Named Vice President, Boston Braves baseball team.

 

1944    

Begins two year term as Secretary, USGA.

 

1946   

Begins two year term as Vice President, USGA.

 

1947       

Non-playing Captain, Winning US Walker Cup Team, St. Andrews, Scotland.

 

1949     

The Ouimet Fund founded by friends of Francis Ouimet and the Massachusetts Golf Association, which raises handicap card fee from $1.00 to $2.00; 13 scholars receive $4,600 in tuition assistance; Francis Ouimet completes his Walker Cup career as Captain as U.S. team wins at Winged Foot; Ouimet Fund’s Annual Banquet begins at the Harvard Club.

 

1950  

21 Scholars receive $5,425 in 2nd year of Ouimet Fund.

 

1951    

Francis Ouimet becomes the first American elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

 

1952     

The first “class” of Ouimet Scholars finishes four years as Ouimet Fund awards $9,758 to 48 students; Francis Ouimet is appointed Chairman of the Boston Arena Authority.

 

1953         

Ouimet Fund celebrates its fifth year by awarding $14,735 in scholarships to 57 students; President Dwight Eisenhower paints a “Red Jacket” portrait of Francis Ouimet which is placed in a cottage at the Augusta National Golf Club, which later goes to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

1954

A Thomas Stephens portrait of Francis Ouimet in the Royal and Ancient’s Red Jacket is presented to the USGA by William Danforth and Ouimet’s famed caddie, Eddie Lowery.

1955     

Massachusetts golfers begin buying Ouimet Fund “Bag Tags” to support the fundraising efforts of The Fund (by this time, the Ouimet Fund had become a separate organization, wholly dedicated to its scholarship program); The first tag is presented to President Dwight Eisenhower; Francis Ouimet is awarded the USGA’s first Bobby Jones award in recognition of “Distinguished Sportsmanship in Golf.”

1958   

The Ouimet Fund celebrates 10th year by awarding $25,600 to 108 scholars, bringing the 10 year total to $146,081 to 255 scholars.

 

1963     

Ouimet Fund celebrates its 15th anniversary in several special ways: The U.S. Open is held at The Country Club honoring the 50th Anniversary of Ouimet’s 1913 victory; A dinner is held at the Park Plaza honoring Ouimet’s 1913 victory and the Ouimet Fund reprints Ouimet’s 1932 autobiography, A Game of Golf; Ouimet Scholars serve as caddies at the U.S. Open; Francis Ouimet is presented the “Walter Hagen Award” by the Golf Writer’s Association.

 

1965  

Francis Ouimet acts as referee in a Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf segment shot at The Country Club.

 

1967        

Francis D. Ouimet dies on September 2 at the age of 74, lifelong friend Gene Sarazen is one of the pall bearers; The William Danforth Award is established at the Harvard Business School (this is the Ouimet Fund’s first endowed scholarship and only graduate school award).

 

1968    

The Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament started with Ben Murphy winning the inaugural event, Gene Sarazen is Honorary Chairman and will be so until his death in 1999; The Fund reaches 20th year by awarding $106,173 to 232 scholars (this is the first time the Ouimet Fund surpasses $100,000 in a year); The U.S. Junior Championship is held at The Country Club and all participants are presented with a copy of A Game of Golf, the autobiography of Francis Ouimet, Ben Crenshaw is one of the participants and this begins his love of golf history.

 

1969    

The Ouimet Fund starts to expand fund-raising capabilities by beginning Par Club; Ouimet Memorial Tournament achieves national prominence as top ranked amateur Ed Tutwiler wins.

 

1970

Ouimet Fund tops $1 Million in scholarships since inception; Ken Kotowski becomes first Ouimet Scholar to win Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

 

1973

Ouimet Fund celebrates 25th year by awarding $130,600 to 273 scholars.

 

1974

Francis Ouimet is an original inductee into the PGA/World Golf Hall of Fame along with Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, and Gene Sarazen; Ground breaking is held for the Francis Ouimet Museum with Gene Sarazen helping to turn a shovel.

 

1975    

The Francis Ouimet Museum and Golf House offices open in Weston, Massachusetts (alums Charlie Fox and Bob McDonald head up the successful project in which the building fundraising is kept separate from the scholarship program); The Massachusetts Golf Association and the Women’s Golf Association of Massachusetts share the building with The Fund; Paul Murphy of Charles River becomes second Ouimet Alum to win the Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

 

1977   

Ouimet Alumnus Peter Lynch takes over the Fidelity Magellan Fund and starts remarkable era in financial services industry.

 

1978  

Ouimet Fund tops $2 Million in scholarships in its 30th year as it awards $155,200 to 287 scholars; Francis Ouimet is honoree of 3rd Memorial Tournament at Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village in Ohio (he was preceded by Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen).

 

1979  

Joseph Morrill, Jr. Award founded within Ouimet Fund.  This is the Ouimet Fund’s first undergraduate endowed scholarship; Ouimet Alum Richard F. Connolly, Jr. begins 30 year (plus) chairmanship of Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

 

1980       

A group of members from The Country Club donate the “Francis Ouimet Trophy” to the USGA to be used in its new Senior Open Championship; Fred Anders Award established, named for the longtime caddie master at The Country Club; Future PGA TOUR star Brad Faxon wins Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

 

1982    

ars later, the Ouimet Fund’s 60th Annual Banquet will honor Watson with the 14th Lifelong Contributions to Golf Award.

 

1983   

The Fund celebrates its 35th year by awarding $279,700 to 290 scholars.

 

1986 

Alternate Jason Cook wins Ouimet Memorial Tournament.

 

1987   

and hosts a special U.S. Open preview outing at The Country Club.

 

1988 

The 40th year of The Ouimet Fund is also the 75th Anniversary of Francis Ouimet’s 1913 U.S. Open victory.  The two events are commemorated in several ways: The U.S. Open is held at The Country Club, won by Curtis Strange in a playoff; The U.S. Postal Department issues a Francis Ouimet Stamp; The Ouimet Fund hosts a gala night at the Boston Pops; The USGA opens the Ouimet Room at its museum in Far Hills, New Jersey( the room houses the Red Jacket portrait along with Ouimet’s U.S Open and two U.S. Amateur medals); The Ouimet Fund awards $319,000 to 276 scholars, bringing the 40 year total to $4,818,671 to 2,627 scholars.

 

1989

The Ouimet Fund tops $5 million in scholarships; American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) trophy for low scoring averages is named “The Francis Ouimet Trophy” (first winners: David Duval & Vickie Goetze).

 

1992  

Ouimet Fund tops $6 million in scholarships; Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament celebrates 25^th anniversary; Par Club renamed “The Francis Ouimet Society”; The first honorary membership is presented to The Royal & Ancient Golf Club in a ceremony at R&A Clubhouse, plague is hung beneath portrait of Ouimet in Red Jacket.

 

1993

The 100^th birthday celebration of Francis Ouimet kicks off, with daughters Jane Salvi & Barbara McLean; The Ouimet Marathon is first held at Stow Acres CC, raising $120,000 in its first year (the Ouimet Golf Marathon is the leading fundraising Marathon in the US).

 

1994  

The Ouimet Fund has its second straight record year as it awards $400,000 to 233 students; The Fund develops a new bag tag called the “Booster Tag” for public golf courses.

 

1995  

The USGA selects the image of Francis Ouimet and Eddie Lowery as its Centennial Logo.  Ouimet President Dick Stimets presents USGA Executive Director David Fay with a special plaque and poem about Ouimet to commemorate the event.

 

1996    

The Ouimet Fund enters in to a unique collaboration with the Black & White on Green Foundation, the City of Boston, and other groups to develop inner-city Ouimet scholars through a special “camp/work” program at Boston golf courses.

 

1997    

Ouimet alum Richard F. Connolly, Jr. arranges for Arnold Palmer to be the guest speaker and recipient of the first “Francis Ouimet Award for Lifelong Contributions to Golf” Award at the Annual Banquet (a total of 1,400 guests attend the function which sets New England attendance and fundraising records).

 

1998    

The Fund starts a major new endowed scholarship campaign and nine new endowed scholarships are established.

 

1999  

The Ouimet Fund celebrates its 50^th Anniversary year; Bob Pack of Texas makes a life-size statue of the famous Francis and Eddie image which is unveiled at the World Golf Hall of Fame.

 

2000  

The Fund establishes the Richard F. Connolly, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, presented each year at the Annual Banquet; The Fund was presented the Golf Digest Earl Woods Trophy in honor of its 50 year history and for its dedication to the inner city initiatives, especially its work with the Franklin Park Caddie Scholars Program.

 

2001      

The Annual Banquet is another hit, this time honoring two golf legends: Eddie Lowery and Ken Venturi; Ouimet Alumnus Allen Doyle wins the Champions Tour’s season long points race, The Schwab Cup, and designates part of the $1 Million annuity to the Heritage Fund.

 

2002     

Mark Frost’s book The Greatest Game Ever Played is released; The Fund moves its offices to the William F. Connell Golf House at TPC Boston.

 

2003    

The PGA TOUR’s Deutsche Bank Championship begins, and Ouimet Scholars work as caddies in the event’s Pro-Ams; The special Dale Carnegie Course Program begins for Ouimet Scholars and is held annually.

 

2004 

Ouimet’s book A Game of Golf is re-printed with foreword by Ben Crenshaw.

 

2005 

The Fund set a new scholarship record by awarding $1 Million to a record 362 students across the state; Mark Frost’s book The Greatest Game Ever Played is turned into a Disney movie (the premiere is held in North Attleboro, MA with receptions at the nearby TPC Boston clubhouse and William F. Connell Golf House).

 

2006  

Frank Vana, Jr. wins his record 4th Ouimet Memorial Tournament and Alison Walshe capped off a rare three-peat in the Women’s Division as the only player to win the title since its creation.

 

2007  

The Fund honored golf’s most famous couple, Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, at the 58th Annual Banquet in front of 2,100 guest (it was the largest golf dinner ever held in the United States); the Ouimet Golf Marathon celebrates 15 years and over $3 million raised.

 

2008  

The Richard F. Connolly, Jr. Scholarship was one of six Endowed Scholarships created in 2008.  Also created was one in honor of golf writer Herbert Warren Wind, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame later that year.

 

2009

Tom Watson was honored at The Fund’s 60th Annual Banquet.  Throughout his career, Mr. Watson won eight major titles, including five British Open Championships, two Masters, and one U.S. Open.

 

2010  

Annika Sorenstam, winner of 10 LPGA major championships, was the guest speaker and honored with the 15th Francis Ouimet Award for Lifelong Contributions to Golf at the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund’s 61st Annual Banquet.

 

2012  

The Ouimet Award for Lifelong Contributions to Golf was presented to Mark O’Meara, who enthralled the guests in attendance with a heartfelt reflection on his time in golf; The Fund announces that Arnold Palmer will serve as the Centennial’s Honorary Chair.